Low cost indicator light for a television receiver



Jan. 9, 1968 P. KOROL ET AL 3,363,057

LOW COST INDICATOR LIGHT FOR A TELEVISION RECEIVER Filed March 25, 1965 FIG.2

lNVENTORS D ,m a L N Om/ RI 0 OS T K ./?T

J A R E R L l EM W P T United States Patent 3,363,057 LOW COST INDICATOR LIGHT FOR A TELEVISION RECEIVER Peter Korol, De Witt, and Donald J. Siebold, North Syracuse, N.Y., assignors to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Mar. 25, 1965, Ser. No. 442,612 1 Claim. (Cl. 1787.84)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A low cost indicator light viewed through a sandwich construction of an apertured mounting panel, transparent panel with a colored dot overlying the aperture and a translucent panel rendering the indicator invisible when off. For convenient mass production the panels are mounted and retained by tabs on the translucent panel projecting through aligned mounting apertures in the transparent and mounting panels.

The present invention relates to indicator lights and more specifically to low cost indicator lights for consumer electronic equipment such as televison receivers.

In the past relatively expensive indicator lights have been utilized with electronic equipment such as television receivers. For example, such indicator lights have commonly been employed to provide an indication that a remotely controlled receiver is in the standby condition. The familiar jewel indicator has often been utilized for this purpose.

The present indicator lights are not completely suitable for use in consumer electronic equipment for a number of reasons. Initially, the existing devices are relatively expensive and thus add unwarranted cost to the equip ment. Further, existing devices in general are relatively complex and necessitate the use of lens-like elements such as the aforementioned jewel. Yet further, existing devices are freely visible when unlighted and do not present an aesthetically pleasing indication when lighted.

Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a low cost indicator light.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simplified indicator light utilizing a minimum number of elements.

Yet another object is to provide an indicator light which is invisible when unlighted and presents an aesthetically pleasing appearance when lighted.

-These and other objects are achieved in one embodiment of the invention through the use of previously existing elements to provide the desired indication. An aperture is provided in the speaker grill of a television receiver, a suitable lamp being positioned behind the aperture to project a light beam therethrough. A translucent plastic member overlies the speaker grill in the area of the aperture. The translucent member can be the same member commonly employed as a lens element for the light dependent resistance of an automatic brightness control. A transparent member is interposed between the speaker grill and the translucent member. A transparent color dot is formed on the transparent member in the area overlying the aperture, the dot being formed by heat stamping or other suitable means. In this manner, an indicator light is provided which is invisible behind the translucent member when the lamp is unenergized. However, when the lamp is energized the color dot is viewed through the translucent member thereby providing the desired indication.

The novel and distinctive features of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may

Patented Jan. 9, 1968 best be understood by reference to the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded view of the indicator light of the invention, and

FIGURE 2 is a simplified cross sectional view of the indicator light depicted in FIGURE 1.

Referring to FIGURE 1, there is shown an exploded view of the indicator light unit of the invention as positioned on the front closure member 1 of a television re ceiver. As depicted, the indicator light unit of the invention is most advantageously mounted to the perforated metal speaker grill 2 commonly employed in television receivers. The speaker grill 2 is provided with an aperture 3 behind which is mounted a lamp 4 attached to a suitable bracket 5 as shown more clearly in FIGURE 2. The speaker grill 2 is also provided in conventional fashion with a second aperture 6 behind which is positioned a light dependent resistance (not shown) for automatic brightness control. The speaker grill 2 is further provided with a plurality of elongated apertures 7 for mounting the indicator light unit.

The indicator light unit comprises a translucent member 8 such as is conventionally provided in conjunction with the light dependent resistance of an automatic brightness control. The outer surface 9 of the translucent member 8 is formed in lent-iculated fashion to present a pleasing appearance. The translucent member 8 is further provided with a plurality of rearwardly extending tabs 10 adapted to be received by the elongated apertures 7 in the speaker grill 2.

A transparent member 11 is interposed between the speaker grill 2 and the translucent member 9. A plurality of elongated apertures 12 are provided in the member 11, the apertures 12 being adapted to receive the rearwardly extending tabs 10 of the translucent member 8.

The transparent member 11 is further provided with a transparent color dot 13 arranged to overly the aperture 3 when the indicator light unit is assembled to the speaker grill 2. The color dot 13 might advantageously be hot stamped from a sheet of red plastic material or might be formed by any other suitable technique.

The indicator light unit is assembled to the speaker grill by inserting the rearwardly extending tabs 10 in the elongated apertures 12 of transparent member 11 and corresponding elongated apertures 7 of speaker grill 2. In this position the color dot 13 overlies the aperture 3 and the rearwardly extending tabs 10 can be deformed to maintain the indicator light unit in the desired position. Where a suitable plastic material is employed for the translucent member 8 the tabs 10 can be deformed by applying a heated tool thereto.

In operation, when the lamp 4 is unenergized the color dot 13 is invisible behind the translucent member 8. However, when the lamp 4 is energized a colored dot appears on the translucent member thereby providing the desired indication. Thus, an aesthetically pleasing indication is provided which is invisible when the light is unenergized. Further, the invention utilizes a minimum number of elements since the translucent member 8 is already conventionally employed in television receivers.

In a particularly successful embodiment of the invention, the translucent member 8 was formed from a white translucent plastic material. The transparent member 11 was formed from a transparent plastic material tinted gray and the color dot 13 was hot stamped thereon from a red transparent plastic sheet material.

Although the invention has been described with re spect to certain specific embodiments it will be appreciated that modifications and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. Specifically, it will be 3 4 appreciated that the invention will find application in also having a corresponding plurality of mounting electronic equipment other than television receivers and apertures in registered alignment with said tabs and that the indicator light unit might be mounted to other closure member mounting apertures, and than the speaker grill portion of the equipment. (d) a color dot positioned on said transparent mem- What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters 5 her in the area overlying said indicator aperture to Patent of the United States is: provide a colored indication through said translucent 1. An indicator arrangement for a television receiver member when said lamp is energized. including a front closure member having an indicator aperture dand a plurality of mounting apertures therein, References Cited said in icator arrangement comprising;

(a) lamp means positioned within said receiver and 10 UNITED STATES PATENTS arranged to project a light beam through said indi- 2,522,098 9/1950 Coste 340-202 cator aperture, 2,601,841 7/1952 Zindel 1787.9 (b) a translucent member overlying a portion of said 3,240,876 3/1966 Whitney 1787.9 closure member including said indicator aperture, 15 3,264,625 8/1966 Bateman 178--7.84 and having a plurality of mounting tabs in registered alignment with said mounting apertures, JOHN W. CALDWELL, Primary Examiner (c) a transparent member interposed between said J. ORSINO Assistant Emmi-net closure member and said translucent member, and 

